10/19/2016
Madden Wellness Counseling, PLLC
Amber Madden, MA, LPCA
Eating Disorder & Obesity Specialist
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Have you ever ate something and continued to
eat something even though it was flavorless,
stale, not appealing, or maybe just because it
was there?
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10/19/2016
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How often do you eat specific “comfort foods”
when you are upset?
Do you eat when you are stressed or anxious
about an upcoming event or situation, even if
you are not physically hungry?
You may be a member of the
Clean Your Plate Club.
54% of Americans eat everything on their plate.
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It’s not all your fault!
How much TV did you watch last night?
Were you eating while watching?
People who watched 60 minutes of TV ate 28%
more food than those that watched 30 minutes.
How much sleep did you get last night?
Subjects who got 2/3 of their normal sleep time
ate more food than those who sleep their typical
amount — 549 extra calories a day.
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Eating to alleviate negative emotions.
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Turning to food as a source of
comfort.
 A seemingly “quick fix” for a
problem we’re experiencing.
Turn to food when we’re sad,
mad, hurt, confused, bored, stressed,
frustrated, lonely, etc.
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Unaware – not being conscious about what or
WHY you’re eating.
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Food is Your Only Pleasure – using food as a
reward.
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Inability to Tolerate Negative Feelings
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Body Hate
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Physiology
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Food triggers the release of endorphins and
opioids in the brain.
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This release is similar to the experience a drug
addict has when using cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.
Breaking the habit of emotional eating can be as
difficult as a drug user trying to overcome an
addiction.
Can lead to binge eating, obesity and other eating
disorder problems.
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Problem - Experience Negative Emotion 
Seek Quick Comfort Solution - Experience
Craving/Urge-- Eat Food-- Temporarily
Satisfied - Creates Automatic Response
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Next time….
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Problem-Negative Emotion- Eat Food.
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You have little else to look forward to…
Brain is trained to only seek pleasure in food
sources.
Retraining the brain.
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Guilt – People pleasers, feel selfish when tending
to self care, turn to food when feeling guilt.
Shame – Convinced food choices are sinful,
sometimes come from shame-based families
Anxiety – eat to soothe nerves, possible history of
depression, always worried about the past and
future
Disappointment – believe they don’t deserve to
have positive expectations, food never disappoints,
at least for awhile.
Confusion – a battle with the body, confused about
what, when, if and how much to eat. Urge to find
out what’s “right” so they don’t make mistakes.
Loneliness – feelings of abandonment, rejection,
being ignored and unheard. Desperate to bond
with something, they seek solace in food.
Helplessness – underlies many other emotions,
feeling as if there’s nothing you can do, might
become controlling and micromanaging over food.
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Self-sabotage.
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Irrational Beliefs – Thinking Errors
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Cut-Off
“I’ve already screwed up, might as well just start
again on Monday and eat what I want until then.”
“You’ll never be able to do this. Why even try?”
It’s hard to help something you hate.
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10/19/2016
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Sleep
Leptin and Ghrelin
Not getting enough sleep releases
Ghrelin.
 More sleep releases Leptin
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Stress
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Ignoring Hunger Cues
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Back to the basics – Eat when you are hungry, stop
when you’re full.
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Getting away from “diet brain”.
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Listening to your body.
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Stopping the idea of “good” and “bad” foods.
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Honoring hunger, identifying cravings and
exploring triggers.
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People eat for many reasons besides hunger:
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Releases cortisol, a survival
mechanism which convinces your
body to conserve energy = store fat.
Hangry
Emotional
Time of Day
 Social / Cultural
 Situational
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Forget What Hunger Feels Like
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Identifying Hunger
Stomach “pangs”
Stomach growling
 Headache, dizziness, lethargic, “hangry”
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Am I feeling hunger?
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Avoid feeling famished.
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Stomach growling/hunger pangs.
Overeating
Choosing high calorie foods.
Eating anything/everything available.
Snack lightly
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The mindset that you must be
deprived.
Deprivation only leads to binge
eating, which leads to guilt,
which leads to dieting – cycle.
Unsustainable
Dieting implies a specific
timeframe, which will end.
Creates negative thoughts
around food.
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10/19/2016
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Vacation/Holiday Diet
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Cravings
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Am I Hungry or Thirsty?
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Strive for moderately full and satisfied.
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Labeling foods
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Why am I craving chocolate/chips/etc.?
Creates a sense of guilt.
Caters to “diet brain”
Reframe
Food is just food.
Permitting yourself to enjoy all foods relieves
restriction.
Consider adapting a “special events” or “special
foods” mindset. “Is it worth it?”
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Ask yourself: “Why am I eating right now?”
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Limit Distraction.
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EXPERIENCE the food. (Touch/Texture, Smell,
Appearance, etc.)
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Savor slowly.
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Ask yourself: “Am I still hungry?” “Am I
satisfied?”
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10/19/2016
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Awareness
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Motivational Interviewing Techniques – Open
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Food Monitoring
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Ended Question Discussion
Encourage Improvement Not Perfection
Other Ways to Monitor Progress Besides Weight
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Consider Additional Professional Support
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The Food and Feelings Workbook : A Full Course on
Emotional Health – Karen R. Koenig
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Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think –
Brian Wansink
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http://www.umassmed.edu/nutrition/mindfulleating/mindfuleating/tips/
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http://mindlesseating.org/index.php
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http://www.webmd.com/diet/sleep-and-weight-loss
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10/19/2016
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Binge Eating
Emotional Eating
Food Addiction
Weight Loss
Body Image
Bariatric Surgery Support
Children/Adolescent Eating Issues
Obesity
Nutritional Guidance
Meal Planning
Telehealth Counseling
Amber Madden, MA, LPCA
Eating Disorder & Obesity Specialist
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.maddenwellnessky.com
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